In 15th and 16th century France, two female textile guilds - comprised of single women and wives working independently of their husbands - wielded great power. By the end of the 18th century, they had been dismantled.

Consumers are faced with more economic uncertainty than the bottoming out of interest rates would otherwise suggest.
AAP/Sam MooyFebruary 7, 2017

In the shadow of a history-repeating Black Monday, it’s useful to step back and ask how we got here again.

New African economic history is challenging earlier wisdom by showing, for example, that railways have had profound effects, both positive and negative on African societies.
Reuters/Thomas Mukoya June 4, 2015

To understand this week’s G20 Summit being held in Brisbane, Australia, and measure its success, requires a sense of the history of economic crisis and change. Recurring crises have shaped global institutions…

Political wrangling over food prices has a long history, and a difficult future. We have become used to ever-cheaper food, but a closer look at what’s happening shows that what we buy and how much we pay…

Note: this article contains TV show plot spoilers up to and including the series 4 finale. It also features detail from the books (though no plot spoilers). Wannabe king Stannis Baratheon’s unexpected…

The culmination of a lot of planning, and a lot of building.
DVIDSHUBJune 6, 2014

On June 6 1944, more than 150,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy. Their number rose to 1.5m over the next six weeks. With them came millions of tons of equipment, ranging from munitions, vehicles, food…

Few economics books have caused quite the stir which accompanied the release of the English version of Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty First Century. And there can be few who are not familiar with…

At least we won’t have to queue at the job centre when this is over.
Toggenburg BibleApril 8, 2014

The plague known as the Black Death which tore through 14th century Europe is traditionally held to have had at least one upside. Women, the theory runs, were able to exploit the labour shortages of post-plague…

Note: this article is spoiler-free. If you have watched the first three series and want to remind yourself who is who and to catch up on the story so far check out our explainer. Westeros, the primary…

Most wars are rich in tales of agency and decision. Yet many tales of the Great War are told otherwise. The dominant narrative tells us that we were passive victims of an irrational disaster. Everything…